The Moomins are inextricably linked with the Second World War.
Author Tove Jansson published the first of her popular children’s books in 1945 - the year the war ended.
The Conversation UK recently celebrated the 80th anniversary of The Moomins and the Great Flood with a series of articles and a special event.
A panel of experts came together at the National Science and Media Museum on Friday to discuss the book, which "reflects the struggles of rebuilding lives after disaster”.
The event, held in Bradford, a City of Sanctuary committed to welcoming refugees, also featured a screening of Moomins on the Riviera.
As The Conversation UK’s commercial subsidiary, Universal Impact helps researchers boost the reach and impact of their work by offering bespoke training, mentoring and communications programmes.
We’ve recently been supporting a research showcase in Dubai to bring together academics from around the world to collaborate on potential solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Find out more about us here.
Now, onto this week’s latest opportunities from across the world of research, communications and policymaking:
Wellcome is currently accepting applications for its next round of Discovery Awards. These provide average grants of £3.5 million (with the option to apply for additional funding) over up to eight years. The scheme funds established researchers who are "generating significant shifts in understanding” and "developing methodologies, conceptual frameworks, tools or techniques” to improve health. Applicants must be based at an organisation in the UK, Ireland or a low or middle-income country (excluding India and mainland China). Deadline: 29 July.
Essayist Hubert Butler has been nicknamed Ireland's George Orwell. You can currently enter an essay prize which has been set up to encourage interest in his work. This year’s theme, drawn from William Shakespeare’s King Lear is: "Men must endure / Their going hence, even as their coming hither”. Applicants are asked to consider the question: “Have we no more active rights over life, birth and death”? You must be from the UK or the European Union to enter. First prize is €1,500, with two second prizes of €500. Essays must be in English and no more than 3,000 words. Deadline: 4 July.
UCL is offering £15,000 for projects focused on mental health and wellbeing. These "grand challenges” aim to “support cutting-edge research and innovation that crosses disciplinary boundaries and focuses on prevention and early intervention”. The scheme targets early- and mid-career researchers. First applicants must be UCL staff, though external partners may be included in the wider application. Around 8-10 projects are expected to receive funding. Deadline: 23 June.
The London Research and Policy Partnership supports collaboration between researchers and policymakers to address key challenges in London. Grants of £15,000 are available for projects that “contribute to building and strengthening connective infrastructure, services and practices”. Open primarily to those working in government or higher education institutions in London, though applications from outside the capital will also be considered. Deadline: 15 June.
The Austrian Academy of Sciences is inviting applications for its postdoctoral programme at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine in Vienna – one of Europe’s leading centres for biomedical research. The programme is looking for applicants "eager to pursue ground-breaking biomedical research” and become “future scientific leaders”. The salary is €4,932.90 (paid 14 times a year). Applicants should hold a PhD in the natural sciences or be a Doctor of Medicine. Deadline: 4 June.
The British Institute at Ankara (BIAA) supports humanities and social sciences research in Turkey and the Black Sea region. It offers a number of funding opportunities, grants and awards to support academics at all stages of their career. Applications are currently open for two fellowships to support Turkish archaeology researchers in the UK: one opportunity at the University of Liverpool, and the other at the University of Oxford. Deadline: 31 May.
The American thinktank Rand is hiring two new roles in artificial intelligence policy to boost their technical knowledge: policy associate and research scientist. Applications from machine learning engineers and semiconductor experts are particularly welcome, as well as “excellent generalists”. Roles are based in the United States. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
New York magazine, is inviting pitches on life, culture, politics and style in the Big Apple and beyond. New features editor Natalie Shutler is “particularly interested in angles on the news, the political/cultural zeitgeist, and historical or contextual analysis of the time we’re in”. Contact: natalie.shutler@voxmedia.com.
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All the best,
Adam at Universal Impact
